Thursday, March 7, 2013

I have always liked unique garden markers, but being the frugal person that I am, I could never justify paying a lot of money for them. I am always on the look out for whimsical, DIY garden markers when I came across this idea a year ago. I would link you to the original source, but I can no longer find it. The original version of these were made with twigs. However, I chose to use bamboo, thanks to the suggestion of my aunt, who pointed out that sticks would rot much faster. They also make great gift markers in a garden basket or pot. I put one in my mom's Mother's Day gift. I also made burlap gift bags filled with herb markers for end-of-the-year teacher gifts with tags that read, "Thanks for helping me grow!"

Here's the How-to:
Using pruners, cut 5 foot bamboo sticks to the desired height. I think mine were 15 inches or so.
Print out labels and cut out with a 1 inch circle punch.
Modge Podge your label to a flat marble and smooth out with your fingers. (You'll need two marbles for each marker so that you can read it from either side). Allow to dry.
Hot glue two labeled marbles together, and then hot glue the seam of the two marbles to seal it from water and then wrap twine around the marbles while the glue is still hot.
Next, hot glue the marbles onto the top of a precut bamboo stick, and let it rest.
To secure the marbles better, take a couple of twine pieces about six inches long and hot glue them onto the top of the marble, down the sides and onto the bamboo.
The last step is to hot glue below the marble on the bamboo stick, wrapping twine around it and up to marble. You kind of want to create a cone with the twine, which again gives more support to the marbles.
TaDah!

I have to admit that the first time I attempted composting, I failed MISERABLY. I even had my husband build me one out of wood scraps he had in the garage. It was located in one of the corner's of the yard, which seemed like a half-a-day's walk to get to, and when it was in the 90's during the summer the only thing I wanted to do outside was jump into a pool, not trek it to the back of the yard to turn a compost pile. Since then, I have also learned that we pretty much did everything wrong. For example, our compost structure had no air circulation or drainage, fatal mistake number one. Also, we threw weeds in it that had seeds, fatal mistake number two. Next, we did not have the proper balance of organic materials, which is why it produced a HORRENDOUS smell, fatal mistake number three. I even carelessly tossed in plants that had disease such as powdery mildew, fatal mistake number four! (The list goes on, but I will spare you... UGH!) Okay, I have completely turned this post into a gardener's confessional. Anywho, since I am longing for spring and the upcoming growing season, I vowed to compost right this time and in a way that would be easy and practical for me to maintain.

First, I researched different DIY methods to compost. There are some really, and I mean REALLY, unique ideas out there. But I eventually stumbled upon one that was made out of a black, plastic trash can. BINGO! You can view the tutorial at P. Allen Smith Garden Home. The reason why I like this method is because it's the cheap frugal person's version of an expensive composting drum. Actually, the DIY trashcan version is at LEAST 100 dollars cheaper than the cheapest drum I saw out there! Talk about savings!

Photo from P. Allen Smith Garden

Next, I researched what I could actually put into compost and what NOT to put in it. Some big no-no's were meat scraps and cooked veggies with butter and salt on them. And as mentioned above, no weeds with seeds or diseased plants! I have also read that avocado peels take forever to decompose because they are so fibrous, so you might want to avoid putting those in as well. Also, avoid twigs. A quality compost needs to have a proper balance of nitrogren and carbon materials like dry leaves or shredded black and white newspaper, veggie scraps. It also has to have a proper amount of moisture and drainage. One blogger said to pour in a glass of water every time you toss stuff into your compost. (I will include a list of tips at the end of this post.)

Anyway, I decided to purchase a plastic container to stow under the sink, but I wanted it to be tall and skinny so it wouldn't take up horizontal space. I also purchased a little container from the Dollar Tree for my shredded paper so that every time I toss in some chopped up veggie scraps (nitrogen) I can also toss in a layer of paper (carbon) to maintain a healthy balance. I also rinse my egg shells and crush them before tossing them in. I am not sure if you have to rinse egg shells or not, but it seems like a good idea to me. Crushing the shells helps them to break down faster. Coffee grinds and filters also go in. Once it's full, I take it to my super classy compost bin. I bleach out my scraps container every other time I dump its contents into the composter. (Is composter a word??? It is on my blog!)

Unfortunately, it is the middle of winter for us right now, and I know that anything I toss in the composter will just freeze, but I thought it would be a good idea to get a head start on filling it up. Once it's full, we will just wait for the weather to start to warm things up and we will roll the trash can a few times every couple of weeks to stir things up. Supposedly, it should take a couple of months to make usable compost. And because you can purchase a trash can for this use for $15 or less, why not have two and double the amount of compost?!

Happy to be composting!

Lindsey﻿

Composting Tips from Composting101.com

1. Grass clippings add necessary nitrogen to a compost pile, but be sure to mix with the "brown" materials that add carbon. Both are necessary for quick decomposition and rich compost. Piles made up of just grass will compact, slow down and start to stink.

2. Do not compost fats, pet droppings, or animal products. They will attract pests to the pile and can spread disease.

3. Newspaper or plain white paper from the computer is excellent for composting - just remember to shred it first to speed up the process.

4. Got compost? When finished it should look, feel and smell like rich, dark soil. You should not be able to recognize any of the items you put in there.

5. Worms love coffee grounds!

6. If adding ashes to your compost bin, do so sparingly. They are alkaline and affect the pH of the pile. In contrast, acidic materials include pine needles and oak leaves.

7. Plants that have been treated with pesticides and/or herbicides (weeds and lawn clippings) should be avoided.

8. The microbes responsible for breaking down your compost pile need a balanced diet of nitrogen and carbon. Nitrogen comes from green materials such as food scraps, manure, and grass clippings. Carbon comes from brown materials such as dead leaves, hay, wood chips and shredded newspaper. A ratio that contains equal portions by weight (not volume) of both works best.

9. Algae and seaweed make excellent additions to your compost pile. Be sure to rinse off any salts before using.

10. Finished compost is usually less than half the volume of the materials you started with, but it's much denser.

11. Keep your compost pile in a black plastic bin and in direct sunlight to continue the composting process through the winter. Hay bales can be used to further insulate the pile.

12. Wooden pallets make excellent compost bins. Start with one pallet on the ground. Drive two metal stakes into each side. Slide additional pallets over each support and you have a bin ready for compost.

13. Straw is an excellent source of carbon for your compost pile. However, it may contain weed seeds, so make sure the pile is "cooking" properly.

14. Compost decomposes fastest between 120 and 160 degrees F. Decomposition will occur at lower temperatures, but it takes much longer.

15. The perfect size for a compost pile is one that is at least 3' x 3' x 3'. It's not only a manageable size to turn, but it's ideal for retaining heat while still allowing air flow.

18. Compost piles should remain damp but not too wet. As you build your compost pile, make sure that each layer is moist as it is added. The surface should also remain damp (think of a wrung out sponge), especially during the summer months.

19. Does your compost pile smell? It's probably due to a large number of anaerobic microbes, which are working hard to break down your compost, but creating a smelly situation in the process. To cut down on the anaerobic process, aerate your pile regularly, creating air spaces and limiting the anaerobic microbes while stimulating the less stinky aerobic microbes.

20. Help start a new compost pile with aged manure, cottonseed meal, alfalfa meal, blood meal, or compost starter. They are rich in nitrogen and help jump-start the microbes responsible for breaking down organic matter into compost.

21. Anything that was living at one time is great for compost bins. Think of leaves, vegetables, and grass clippings.

22. Compost piles can either be layered - thin layers of alternating greens and browns, or they can all be thrown in together and mixed well. Either way works!

23. Soak finished compost in water to "brew" compost "tea," a nutrient-rich liquid that can be used for foliar feeding or for watering plants in your garden, backyard, or houseplants.

24. Apply finished compost to your garden about 2-4 weeks before you plant, giving the compost time to integrate and stabilize within the soil. Click here for a guide to vegetable gardening.

25. For faster results, use a compost turner every two weeks to aerate your pile.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

I love, love, love homemade gifts! When someone receives a homemade gift, they know it was made with love. Homemade gifts are personal, humble and special, and you don't have to spend a lot of money to show someone you care about them. Sometimes I will tailor a homemade gift for a specific person. For example, for Christmas, I made a book page sunburst wall hanging for my daughter's reading teacher. I thought it was cute to incorporate book pages into her gift because of all the reading help my daughter received from her. When I stumbled on this tutorial at The Shabby Creek Cottage, I knew I had to make one for Mrs. Z!

I did not sew mine as it was done at The Shabby Creek Cottage. I simply folded, squished and hot glued my book pages down onto a big piece of heavy duty cardboard which was cut into a circle. I started on the outside and worked my way in. It was a very free form type of project; perfect for me since I am an "eye-ball-it" kinda gal! I found the 4 inch mirror in the doll making section at my favorite store, Hobby Lobby. The mirror was less that $4 and came in a package of two! Yippee!

Other times I make things for people that I simply love, like homemade laundry soap! Yes, it's kind of a strange gift to give, but I absolutely love the stuff and wanted to share it with my loved ones. I got the recipe from Being Creative, thanks to a friend who directed me there. The recipe will fill a two gallon glass jar from Walmart, but not knowing if my recipients would love this new laundry soap or not, I gave them each enough to fill a single gallon glass jar. The scoop is actually a coffee scoop and holds exactly two tablespoons, which is the amount used for a large load of laundry. It can be found at Walmart as well. You can download and print the Homemade Clothes Soap label at Great Oak Circle.

Here is a picture of other homemade gift ideas for you.

I hope to write some future posts about some of the projects you see pictured above including: homemade caramels, Dollar Tree wine glasses embellished with chalk paint, and artisan bread!

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

My two children attend a public school, and for a public school, it is relatively conservative and I am encouraged by the many Christian families we have met, but at the end of the day, it is still a public school and Jesus is given a back seat. Our conservative elementary school still sings Christmas songs like Silent Night, but who knows when even that cherished, traditional song will be outed. Oh how I wish things were different! But just because the public school system cannot promote Jesus, doesn't mean my children can't. We took advantage of Valentine's Day as an opportunity to put a little scripture in the hands of my daughter's kindergarten classmates.

I really enjoyed making homemade Valentine's Cards with my little one. We used packaging paper we bought at the Dollar Store, made our heart template from a cereal box, and because Leah is only five, I decided to print out the scriptue and have her sign her name. When you fold up the heart, it will turn into a miniature envelop. This is what ours looked like:

(It looks kind of strange since I blurred out names, faces and such for security purposes, so squint and imagine precous little faces as the stamp and legible addresses.)

For the tutorial on how to fold the heart into an envelop visit Martha Stewart at:

My son and I also had a great time spending the morning together making his homemade Valentine's box. It took forever just two hours! I didn't quite have it in me to make 23 more Valentine's cards, so I opted to do the box with him and bought one for Leah. Oh well! It's just how that one went!

Seeing that I am posting this in March, Happy Belated Valentine's Day!